JC GOLF: Chaps look for consistency in own tournament

Midland College golfers David Wicks and Oswin Schlenkrich know the potential of this year’s Chaparral team. They just have to put it all together at the right time of the year.

Before getting into the meat of their spring schedule, the Chaparrals would love to get some consistency going with a strong showing at the 54-hole Omega Treating Chemicals Invitational beginning today at Green Tree Country Club.

After this tournament, the Chaps begin play in the 108-hole Region V Tournament, which is broken down into two separate events of 54 holes each with the first being at Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro April 7-8. That is when the Chaps would love to be playing their best.

“We need to really start playing well when the big tournaments start in April,” said Wicks, a freshman from England who has been the Chaps’ best golfer this semester. “That’s when we need to be peaking. To come out of the blocks firing and play four months solid is pretty slim. If we can peak around the April-May time that would be perfect. If we can play well and secure a win here, we’ll build that confidence and that consistency as well.”

Consistency is something the Chaps have been lacking throughout the spring schedule. One day, the Chaps will be among the best in a tournament and shoot very well. But then the next day, the Chaps could struggle and fall out of contention.

A great example of that inconsistent play came last week at the Sugar Tree Invitational in Dennis. The Chaps shot a 298 in the first round, only to shoot 311 the next day and finish in fifth place, the lowest finish for MC this year. MC coach Delnor Poss called it a “poor showing” by his team.

“We’ve had some really good tournaments where we’ve had some scores that bordered on sensational,” Poss said. “Then we’ve had some tournaments where people don’t stay with their game plan and they are very undisciplined on the golf course as far as the mental game is concerned, and that’s got to improve. This team has a lot of capable ability, but as far as staying focused, using the proper strategy, they’re not very good at and they’ve got to improve in that area.”

Schlenkrich, a sophomore from South Africa, couldn’t agree more.

“We’ve had a few inconsistencies,” he said. “We’ve been good enough to win but we have three good scores and then a few bad ones. We just need to get everyone playing on the day, not just three guys, but we need all four or five guys playing well on the day.”

Poss expects Wicks and Schlenkrich to be playing among the top five in this tournament, along with sophomore Russell Lara, freshman and Trinity grad Trace Morrow and sophomore Ryder Skillern.

Poss would have liked to have had Chris Schriedel among the top five, but the freshman who has won two individual titles this year, is out indefinitely with a wrist injury.

“Others need to step it up,” Poss said.

The Chaps would love to step it up as a team this week and are hoping that this tournament serves as a springboard for the rest of the year.

“When we get to the big tournaments, we’ve got a good thing and we know what we can do,” Wicks said. “We’re close, we’re real close. We have our seven players. We just need five good scores.”

The Chaps added that playing on a course they practice on at least once a week should be beneficial, but also adds more expectations as well.

“We’re expected to win and that adds a little more pressure to the team, the five,” Wicks said. “But obviously, we play here once a week for the whole last semester and half of this semester, so we’re happy that it’s here.”

Added Schlenkrich, “It’s probably my favorite course in Midland, so I’m pretty happy it’s here. Sure there’s a bit more pressure than we would like, but we know the course pretty well.”